And some of you laughed at me at the my random Craigslist blog post. I just call it foreshadowing on the story that Amanda Baumfeld reported today.

COVINA - Stevan Ortiz and his girlfriend planned to move into a three-bedroom home on Calera Avenue on Thursday.

The couple - expecting their second child in June - gave notice at their apartment in Baldwin Park, bought a washer and dryer and even made plans to pick up a dog.

But Tuesday afternoon, Ortiz, 22, discovered he was among a group of people who appear to have been victims of real estate fraud.

"We made so many plans," said Ortiz, who tried contacting the owner over the weekend. "I had this in the back of my mind when I couldn't get ahold of him."

Posted by Jennifer McLain at 10:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I grew up in Fremont, a city in the San Francisco Bay Area that falls between Oakland and San Jose. So did my dad, who grew up in a section of Fremont called Niles, which backs up to a canyon. I've heard plenty of stories from my dad of how the Bay Area changed since he was born, in 1955. An area that was once filled with orchards and undeveloped land is now lined with homes, traffic and industry.

Growing up in the Bay Area and being a reporter for the Bay Area newspapers, I was fascinated with its history, whether it was the ghost story of the White Witch in Niles Canyon, the once thriving and colorful community that lived in the salt marshes in Fremont, or the cult-like history out of Holy City in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

But yesterday, as I was reading "Thirst for Growth," a book that looks at the hisotry of water agencies in Southern California, it hit me: I know nothing about the San Gabriel Valley's past.

I report on the daily murders, crimes and local political upheavels, but I don't know what makes the San Gabriel Valley the way it is today. What are its legends? Are there ghost stories? How has the SGV changed over the years? What did your parents used to tell you about the area? What are the historical landmarks in the area that anyone who has lived here for more than 50 years should know about?

Its been almost two years since I moved here. I guess it's about time that I call it home.

(The photo is a picture of the SGV in 1900, taken from this Web site.)

Posted by Jennifer McLain at 10:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Dan Abendschein reports that the city will not allow an argument against a utility tax measure in election material because the information did not meet a deadline.

COVINA - Despite the county's willingness to accept a misfiled ballot argument on a utility tax measure, the city will not allow the argument on election material sent to voters, officials said Tuesday.

The argument would have been placed on the sample ballot for the June 3 election, which is mailed out to voters. If the opposition argument to the measure is not on the sample ballot, only a pro-tax argument will appear.

Covina City Manager Paul Phillips said he did not plan to put a request on Tuesday's City Council agenda.

"I am not going to recommend to the council that they take any action on this issue," said Phillips.

His reason for not allowing the argument on the ballot is because it would be unfair since the group supporting the measure would not have a chance to write a rebuttal to the argument, a right allowed in the state election code.

Further in the story, it states:

County officials initially said that there was no way the argument could be included on the sample ballot. But at Tuesdays's Board of Supervisors meeting, acting County Registrar Dean Logan said that the choice is the city's.

"If the city were to direct us to put the argument on our sample ballot by our printing deadline we would do that," Logan said. The deadline, he said, is Friday.

Posted by Jennifer McLain at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Dan Abendschein reports that sample ballots for a Covina city measure that would renew the city's $5.5 million user's tax - which was previously voted against - will be missing opposition arguments. Covina claims that it rejected the argument because it was filed late.

[City Clerk Amy] Turner did get a copy of the argument from the county Tuesday, one day after the deadline. She said that she consulted the city attorney about including the argument on the ballot.

"He told me that I had to follow the boundaries set by the City Council, so my hands are tied," said Turner.

Opponents said that the city did not tell them how to correctly file the arguments.

Paul Drugan, of the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's office, told [Steve Millard, an anti-tax activist who opposes the measure] that the county schedule would have required him to turn in the argument to Covina by 11 a.m. March 17. Turner's instructions to Millard said he had until the end of the day to turn in the argument.

"If it were time-stamped for any time past 11:00, it would not have been valid," said Drugan. Turner said the schedule she received from the county did not have a time of day listed on it.

This story ran alongside the city's announcement that it would be laying off 99 employees, which will come with nearly $1 million in severance packages and paid leave. Considering the layoffs, I could understand why the city needs the utility tax so badly. But what about the "spirit of the law?" If a group opposing the measure missed the deadline by one day, do you think they should be allowed to get their opposition on the sample ballot or should they get over it and realize that they missed their chance?

To view the opposition, click here.

Posted by Jennifer McLain at 1:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Some interesting things slated for a special meeting in Covina Tuesday night...

Also, a new mayor is scheduled to be elected by majority council vote during the regular meeting on the same night.

Posted by Tania Chatila at 7:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)